TY - JOUR
T1 - Adverse childhood experiences, economic hardship, and obesity
T2 - Differences by gender
AU - Kim, Youngmi
AU - Lee, Haenim
AU - Park, Aely
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - The detrimental effects of childhood trauma and stress do not dissipate over time, enduring well into adulthood and affecting health and quality of life over the course of time. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) also appear to negatively affect socioeconomic status, which elevates long-term health risks in adulthood. This study aims to examine (1) the pathway from ACEs, economic hardship, to the risk of obesity in young adulthood and (2) gender differences in the mediating role of economic hardship between ACEs and obesity. We conducted latent class analysis and a multiple group path analysis, using three waves of data from adolescence to young adulthood in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 10,091). Findings present three classes of exposure to ACEs: low adversity, child maltreatment, and family dysfunction. In both women and men subgroups, the “child maltreatment” and “family dysfunction” classes experienced economic hardship more than the “low adversity” class, yet no direct association between ACEs and obesity was found. The indirect effect of economic hardship on obesity was observed only in women. Women classified to the “child maltreatment” and the “family dysfunction” classes were more likely to have obesity status by experiencing economic hardship in young adulthood, compared to the “low adversity” class. This study highlights heterogeneous types of ACEs and gender differences in the mediating role of economic hardship as a related stress. In obesity interventions, policymakers and practitioners should be aware that economic hardship may intermediate the effects of ACEs on obesity particularly for women.
AB - The detrimental effects of childhood trauma and stress do not dissipate over time, enduring well into adulthood and affecting health and quality of life over the course of time. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) also appear to negatively affect socioeconomic status, which elevates long-term health risks in adulthood. This study aims to examine (1) the pathway from ACEs, economic hardship, to the risk of obesity in young adulthood and (2) gender differences in the mediating role of economic hardship between ACEs and obesity. We conducted latent class analysis and a multiple group path analysis, using three waves of data from adolescence to young adulthood in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 10,091). Findings present three classes of exposure to ACEs: low adversity, child maltreatment, and family dysfunction. In both women and men subgroups, the “child maltreatment” and “family dysfunction” classes experienced economic hardship more than the “low adversity” class, yet no direct association between ACEs and obesity was found. The indirect effect of economic hardship on obesity was observed only in women. Women classified to the “child maltreatment” and the “family dysfunction” classes were more likely to have obesity status by experiencing economic hardship in young adulthood, compared to the “low adversity” class. This study highlights heterogeneous types of ACEs and gender differences in the mediating role of economic hardship as a related stress. In obesity interventions, policymakers and practitioners should be aware that economic hardship may intermediate the effects of ACEs on obesity particularly for women.
KW - Add Health (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health)
KW - Adverse childhood experiences
KW - Economic hardship
KW - Latent class analysis
KW - Moderated mediation
KW - Obesity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087658697&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105214
DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105214
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85087658697
SN - 0190-7409
VL - 116
JO - Children and Youth Services Review
JF - Children and Youth Services Review
M1 - 105214
ER -